Optical communications have become increasingly important in today's society. Optical networks generally include communication systems that may use light waves as a medium for the transmission or switching of data or information. Optical communication systems have enjoyed sustained notoriety because of their ability to provide cost-effective bandwidth, noise isolation capabilities, greater security, and a small physical presence.
One drawback associated with some optical networks is that when an element within the network architecture experiences a failure, the entire communication system (or any segment thereof) may break down or become inoperable. This vulnerability is due to a lack of redundancy or failover protections provided to a network architecture. These failures may be particularly detrimental in cases where numerous components or elements depend on an upstream functionality in order to function properly. In such a scenario, the failure of one component produces inefficiencies and or errors that result in poor or inadequate performance for the network. Additionally, significant problems may be presented for components or elements that are positioned downstream of the failure, components that may be relying on the failing component to provide some current, voltage, power, signal, operation, or other suitable output.